Hermetus Bottle Opener and Sealer

I often make my own beer at a local brew-it-yourself taproom (props to The Brew Kettle). The bottles we use are 22-ounces, so drinking one is almost like drinking two. Often times I'll end up drinking more than I wanted or drinking none at all (oh, the horror).

Stumbled across the Hermetus Bottle Opener and Sealer while looking for a Father's Day gift for my dad. Bought one for him, a couple guys in the brew group, and myself. To create an airtight seal simply slip it over the top of the bottle. It works perfectly.

Drank half a bottle one night then sealed it and put it in the fridge. Drank remaining half the second night, and it tasted the same and still had a nice head on it. I love the simplicity of the design!

Presumably it works on any standard bottle and bottle cap. I can think of a number or reasons why I’d like to temporarily reseal some kind of beverage (doesn’t have to be beer) for a bit. Needless to say, I’m somewhat stoked about this.

I just love designs like this, that are so simple compared to everything done before to solve the same problem. I’m looking at you, rubber stopper with cam lever that makes it expand in the neck of the bottle.

OR you could do what my brew-buddy does and save up smaller 12 oz. bottles, disinfect, and then fill and cap those. He does this at home though; not sure what rules a taproom has about reusing bottles.

Summer is a great time for ginger beer cocktails, and usually one bottle of the stuff nets me several cocktails. Usually I kind of try to screw the cap back on or am careful enough opening that I try to push the cap back on. This is a perfect tool for keeping the stuff fresh and bubbly, overnight or between drinks.

My home-brewed beer has yeast in the bottom of the bottles so it would take another few days to clear if I resealed the bottle.
Having just read up on the “brew kettle” I see they “filter, carbonate and keg” oh dear!

I don’t brew at home, but I do buy many single bottles of craft beer; the ones I favor tend to have higher alcohol percentages, and an awful lot of them come in 22 ounce bottles. I am definitely buying at least one of these!

There are a lot of reasons you don’t always want to immediately finish a bottle of beer, especially if you are into the craft beer/home brewing scene. This has been an ongoing situation for me, so I just ordered 10 of these. (a couple for gifts)
1. A friend brings in a bottle of his new masterpiece: “Should we open it now, or wait until Phil gets here? I don’t want it to be flat.” Now you can do both.
2. A bottle like Lost Abbey’s Angel’s Share. It’s a lovely beer, but it’s 12.5%, and about $20 for a 12oz bottle. The first few sips are amazing, but to really appreciate it, it’s best in small doses.
3. “I just got in from Finland, and found this most wonderful small-batch ice beer. However, I was only able to manage to bring back a single bottle in my checked bag, and if I share it with you tonight, it won’t be any good for Heidi when she gets into town tomorrow night.”
4. The proliferation of 3l and 3.5l bottles of some high-end beers Amazing for a big gathering, but what if it doesn’t get finished off in one night? A $200 bottle half wasted?

The first mistake a home brewer makes is to create something that is too strong. The challenge is to make a delicious “session” beer that you can drink 4-6 pints of, over an evening and wake up fresh and healthy the next morning. Aim for 3.5 – 5% abv with lots of flavour and character. Anybody who pays $200 for 3 litres of fiendishly strong beer has more money than sense imho.